Professor Kaspars Tārs has been elected Chair of NIRI’s Scientific Council, with Scott Dax elected Deputy Chair.
Tārs’ research group studies bacteriophages – viruses that infect bacteria. The team has recently discovered and partially characterised around 10,000 previously uncharacterised proteins encoded by single-stranded RNA bacteriophages, significantly expanding our understanding of these viruses and opening up potential opportunities for future biotechnology applications.
Scott Dax has been elected Deputy Chair of the Scientific Council. An expert in drug discovery and development, Scott brings more than 25 years of international experience across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
The newly elected Scientific Council held its first meeting on 24 August. It comprises six scientists from the former Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, six scientists from the former Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, and three international experts. In June, all NIRI colleagues holding a doctoral degree were eligible to vote for the Council’s members.
The Scientific Council is NIRI’s highest decision-making body. Its immediate priorities are to elect the Director of NIRI and approve next year’s budget. At its first meeting, the Council agreed that the deadline for applications for the position of NIRI Director will be 30 September. The vote to elect the Institute’s Director will take place on 20 October.
The National Institute of Researcj and Innovation (NIRI) was established on 1 June 2026 through the merger of the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis and the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre.
Information published 25.08.2026